The Competitive Enterprise Institute, a non-profit public policy organization, led the objection battle over the settlement.

CEI objected to the settlement on behalf of a class member on July 1, taking issue with the $545,00 payday for class attorneys and no compensation for class members.

“Only the defendant and the class attorneys would have benefited under the proposed settlement,” Ted Frank, director of CEI’s Center for Class Action Fairness, said in a statement. “That’s why we objected, and it’s why eight state AGs supported our objection.”

The federal court agreed with CEI’s objection that unnamed class members “would be better off opting out” of the rejected settlement because they would receive exactly the same alleged benefit either way.

The court denied both the settlement and the motion for attorneys’ fees.

Unless they appeal, the parties will resume preparation for trial in the underlying case.